Metro Jacksonville

Well, apparently the police are judging our criminal suspects, not just arresting them.  And, then they endorse them for public office.  Should the police be endorsing someone of questionable ethical standards when they are looked to as the enforcers of our ethical standards?  And, remember, this investigation is by the State Attorney that the police where in bed with from Day 1.

Good luck getting pension reform if this guy gets elected.

After the comment by police union bossman, Cuba, regarding boycotting Mayor Peyton's family business because he disagreed with him, it's clear the union will stop at nothing to get its way.  Our men in blue need to question the image their union is creating for them in this community.

The desire to influence our politicians is so blatant, it's still amazes me that our voters can't figure out why we are constantly disappointed by their failure to look out for the community at large.

Jacksonville should enact a law like the Fed's have preventing City employees (and their unions) from endorsing candidates.

QuoteMeserve for Jacksonville City Council
Candidate says it's a big step in clearing his name in investigation.
By The Times-Union Story updated at 11:43 AM on Wednesday, Sep. 9, 2009

Local police are endorsing Atlantic Beach Mayor John Meserve for Jacksonville City Council.

The Republican, who is campaigning to succeed Councilman Art Graham in the Beaches area, is being investigated after a land deal in 2005. After the police union announced the endorsement on Tuesday, Meserve said it was a big step in clearing his name.

The State Attorney's Office is investigating whether Meserve and another former Atlantic Beach mayor, Don Wolfson, used their influence as public officials in 2005 when they began sharing commissions for real estate deals in Mayport. Meserve's cut was about $105,000. The numbers came out in a deposition as part of a lawsuit over a proposal to build a cruise ship terminal in Mayport.

Authorities also say Meserve may have not have had the appropriate credentials for the work. And there are questions about why the information was not part of a standard financial disclosure form that year.

Police union President Nelson Cuba said Meserve's experience - from the time he served as a Navy captain to his days running Atlantic Beach City Hall - surpasses any lingering suspicions about the real estate deal. Cuba said he believes Meserve will be exonerated.

Meserve is running against Democrat Dave Smith for the council District 13 seat. The election is Tuesday.Police union backs

From: http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-09-09/story/police_union_backs_meserve_for_jacksonville_city_council

Cuba is already resorting to name calling and intimidation tactics again and real negotiations haven't even begun.  Image apparently means little to him.

Looks like the City is fairly willing to protect existing employees and change the pensions for new ones to something more in line with the current market standards for affordability and reasonableness.

Richard Clark's indiscriminate budget cutting during Council's finance meetings was disturbing but he is right to tackle this issue since it's the biggest nut in the City budget.

QuoteJacksonville police union opens labor talks, calls council members 'buffoons’

City Hall proposes 3 percent pay cuts; union demands city records

By Matt GalnorStory updated at 6:52 PM on Friday, Sep. 25, 2009

Few punches were pulled Friday as high-stakes negotiations kicked off between Jacksonville city officials and the union for police and corrections officers.

The city proposed 3 percent pay cuts, indefinitely freezing “step” raises officers get for reaching tenure milestones, and a less generous pension plan for new hires.

Fraternal Order of Police President Nelson Cuba fired his own salvo, stressing the deal-making will be done at the bargaining table, “not by some of the buffoons on the City Council.”

At the end of a 90-minute session, Cuba then hit the city with an 85-item public records request on everything from promotions to city finances â€" part of his plan to make the city prove it must get pay and pension concessions from public safety departments to stay financially solvent.

City Council President Richard Clark has been among the most vocal in seeking an across-the-board, 3 percent pay cut for city employees â€" including police and firefighters. Mayor John Peyton had initially proposed furloughs for non-public safety employees and wage freezes for everyone, including police and fire.

Clark said he’s glad the city put that on the table and that negotiations have begun but declined to discuss Cuba’s comments.

“Name-calling really isn’t my thing,” Clark said. “He’s entitled to his opinion.”

Negotiations with police and fire unions will be key to any potential cost savings because about half of the city’s budget goes to public safety. Cuba has already suggested the city has committed an unfair labor practice by the council saying it would cut salaries by 3 percent long before a proposal was brought to the table.

Salaries and benefits for city employees â€" particularly public safety â€" are in the crosshairs across the state and country as governments grapple with a recession-choked drop in revenues.

The fire union heads to the table Oct. 9 and had a representative in attendance Friday to get an advance look at what the city might bring.

When the city met with its supervisors union two weeks ago, it did not bring any proposals on salary cuts or pension changes.

While wage freezes are an immediate cost savings, city negotiator Leonard Carson said pension reform must become a reality in order to keep the city financially stable.

The city’s payment to the Police and Fire Pension Fund was $50.2 million last year and is scheduled to be more than $75 million this year â€" more than 7 percent of the nearly $1 billion budget.

The city isn’t asking for pension changes for employees already working for the city, said Carson, a Tallahassee attorney who has been negotiating Jacksonville’s police and fire contracts since 1988.

Some of the proposed pension changes:

• Instead of being able to retire at any age with 20 years of service, the city would establish a minimum age of 52 with at least 25 years on the job.

• Eliminating the guaranteed 8.4 interest on money in deferred retirement accounts.

• Increasing the employee’s pretax contribution to the pension from 7 percent to 8 percent.

The proposed pension changes would save the city $1.27 billion over 35 years, according to the city.

Cuba’s seven-page records request ranges from information about employee grievances to the amount the city has spent on lobbyists and outside attorneys the past 10 years.

City negotiators thumbed through the request at the bargaining table and said they’ll provide whatever is available.

The next negotiating session is set for Oct. 30.

From Florida Times Union: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-09-25/story/jacksonville_police_union_opens_labor_talks_calls_council_members_buffoo

Cuba is such a douche.

Quote from: reednavy on September 25, 2009, 07:19:19 PM
Cuba is such a douche.

No but he is a BULLY!